By Julie Christiansen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photos: vbn.aau.dk and Nicolaj Riise Clausen, PBL-center

As a cofounder of the Techno-Anthropology program at Aalborg University, where technology, cultures and ethics converge, Tom Børsen has paved the way for an education that shapes engineers into global citizens.

“I have worked on many initiatives that can inspire more traditional engineering programs to combine their technological focus with something more contextual. It’s about rethinking and innovating, so we educate engineers who are not only able to build technology – but also understand who it is meant to serve,” says Tom Børsen.

The Maffioli Award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to the development of teaching in engineering education. In the nomination, it is emphasised that Tom Børsen has helped create a learning environment where complex problems are solved through interdisciplinary perspectives. Techno-Anthropology is the meeting point between engineers, humanists, and health professionals, who together develop projects that combine technical expertise with an understanding of culture, ethics, and user needs.

The program is based on the Techno-Anthropological Triangle, which links experts, users and technological artifacts. Through problem-based learning, students are trained to navigate the intersection of technology and society, where solutions are evaluated not only on technical quality but also on their ethical and social implications.

Tom Børsen’s longstanding focus on engineering ethics has also left a strong impression internally, not least through The Routledge International Handbook on Engineering Ethics Education, where he served as co-editor.

Tom Børsen stresses that rethinking engineering education is not only about didactic experiments, but about building a holistic educational system:

“The problems we face today are complex and require contributions from multiple disciplines. That is why we have created a program where humanists, engineers, and health professionals can work together on solutions.”

For that reason, receiving the Maffioli Award is seen as more than just a personal achievement: